Ignite My Soul
by MuggleBornWY
Summary: "Release me!"-"Sorry.You're stuck with me-as much as I despise it." Draco was heir to the prestigious Duke family; Hermione was just a poor commoner. When he returns alive,instead of dead,she discovers things she shouldn't know-and he wouldn't let her go.
1. Chapter 1: The Black Crow

Chapter 1: The Black Crow

**A/N: Hello, dear readers! Thank you for giving this story a chance! I've got struck by the inspiration to write a Dramoine story - which I've been wanting to, for a very long time, but didn't have the idea to. But I suddenly got struck by this idea that I just have to scribble (or rather, type) and TADA, my first chapter! I promise that I will try to make this enjoyable for everyone to read!**

**WARNING: This would be AU and characters will be OOC.  
**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.  
**

**Please do leave a review to tell me your thoughts! **

**Hope you enjoy!**

**~WY**

* * *

**T**he black crow came again.

Its beady eyes focused on honey brown ones, flapping its black, sleek wings wildly before cawing in a haunted tone, still facing her. The noise it made caused a small whimper from the other side of the room, making the teen sigh. She shuffled over to the little girl, Amy, whose leg had draped over the thin blanket and opened her eyes halfway for a second, before she closed them, tossing over to the other side of the bed as she smacked her lips dreamily. The elder girl chuckled softly as she pulled the blanket from under the girl before covering her with the thin cloth and smoothing down her soft brown hair gently.

The black crow repeated its caw, this time louder, its eyes boring into hers. Another soft cry escaped from the younger girl's mouth, causing irk to form in the other, as she murmured comforting words to her little sister.

Hermione Granger growled and gave it an unwelcome glance, which it returned by flying off, before she walked and settled back onto her wooden chair, glad to be rid of the pest as her fingers traced the rim of her cup absentmindedly. Her food had ran out - again. Yes, it was not the first time, and she was pretty sure that unless she married some rich bloke who wouldn't mind her background - which was near to impossible and a thought she swore quietly to herself, that she would never entertain again - it would not be the last.

She was a woman. An independent one. A man's help wouldn't be needed - definitely not. She turned her nose up higher, indignantly, at that thought before she took a sip of coffee from her cup. She would have to go hunting again.

She brought her arm forward, leaning the side of her face on it as she finished the bitter liquid; she couldn't afford such luxuries these days, it was because of the good hunt she had a few days ago that caused her to splurge in terms of food and drinks - and she regretted it now. Too late though. Sighing to herself, she pushed her chair out, rinsed the cup before turning it upside down and placing it next to the basin without much thought.

"Well, it certainly is a nice, early morning," she muttered to herself as she grabbed her bow and quiver holding her hand-made arrows before pushing the door open, stepping out to the frosty night. She rubbed her arms as she blew out a misty breath, watching them swirl for a moment before she made her way to the forest just behind her cottage.

Her heavy boots made a crunching sound as they stepped on dry leaves; the moon was half hidden within the clouds as it followed her with every step she took; the crickets chriped cheerily, which annoyed her to no end; the leaves on the trees rustled around her, a few of them falling on her head which she brushed away offhandedly.

It was then, did she hear a rustle among the bushes. Snapping her head over to the direction of the sound, she edged towards it stealthily, holding her breath, afraid of scaring her prey. She stopped a few meters away from the bushes. Positioning her bow in front of her, she grabbed her arrow from the quiver which she carried, before swiftly nocking it on the string of the bow.

Holding her bow firmly, she pulled back, resting the arrow up her cheekbone, near her eye as she aimed for the spot where the animal will most likely leap out of, the creaking sound of it reminding her of her much-needed oiling she had promised it of a few days ago.

A white rabbit leaped out of the greenery in a high jump and in a second, the arrow flew straight ahead, hitting it right on the target. She froze for a moment, her bow still poised, before she relaxed, bringing the bow to her side as she walked over to the prey and swung it over her shoulder.

Another stir was heard from the other part of the forest, where there was no trail, startled her. She raised her bow up promptly, dropping her hunt, her guts clenching with uneasiness as she considered the possibility of alerting the landlord of this area that she was poaching on his property. Mr. Parkinson - and his family, of course - were not a good horde to anger. They would certainly make her life hell more than it already was if they found out that a commoner like her was hunting illegally on their area. She pondered over for a moment, before dismissing the idea. The _prestigious_ family, would not want to come out here, unless it was for hunting, after all.

Then who - or what - could it be? A black crow burst out from the dark regions that she was concentrating on, suddenly, the leaves flying about wildly and catching her by surprise, making her squeal loudly.

In a moment of rashness, she pulled her arrow on the bow and aimed at the escaping target, her cheeks flushed red from the shock she received from the scare, before the sensible voice in her mind yelled at her not to; it would most probably be a decision she would regret. Fancy shooting a crow down just because she was angry, she admonished herself. She shook her head disapprovingly at the earlier injudicious decision as she lowered her bow.

She waited for a few more minutes for more sounds alerting her of preys, however, there were none. She seemed done for the day. Picking up the dropped rabbit from earlier, she huffed grouchily, about to head back when the the other part of the forest seemed to beckon her towards it, seeming more tempting than the other times she had been here before.

She hesitated for a moment - just a moment - before deciding that she could just either find more food, or just get lost which she was _quite_ sure she could find her way back, at least, by evening. Amy couldn't be without food for more than a day, after all. She was still a growing child, and unlike her, she needed more nutrients.

She took a tentative step away from the trail, her hands sweeping up all the stones she could find before she walked into the deeper parts of the forest, dropping a stone every few steps as she went. After what seemed like hours of doing so, she decided it was time to head back - there were no food for her to find here, either. She refused, simply refused, to allow disappointment to wash over her. _This is nothing, Hermione,_ she comforted herself. _It's not like you to be so emotional over such a small matter. _

A gruff voice suddenly stopped her in her tracks. Creeping quietly to duck and seek cover under the thickest bush she could find quickly, she peered through the greenery, hindered and irritated slightly by the vines as she watched two pairs of heavy boots crunching over the dry leaves where she had once been.

"Then, Draco, what're you going to do about it?"

She heard a light chuckle which reverberated throughout the forest. "Well, do you think I'm going to let him off? He made abhorrent claims while I'm gone... Claiming the parts of lands belonging to the Malfoys which he thought would be his - my, what an obnoxious father-in-law I have."

Her eyes widened at that statement: _Malfoys_. They were always known to be merciless and cold, and to be uncaring of what they would have to do to achieve their aims. The voice answering to Draco sounded rather young, though deep, like he was only in his early twenties.

According to the papers, Draco was the only son of the Malfoys and held power: A lot of power. Malfoys were filthy rich too; she stifled a sigh, if only… But this wasn't important; wasn't he _dead_? As reported on the newspaper, at least. A dent formed between her brows as she contemplated the likelihood of what could have really happened.

"But you do have to take in mind that he is-" The speaker suddenly got cut off short. Hermione made a slight move among the leaves, trying to get a clearer view of what had occurred and made a slight ripple among the them. She froze.

She watched as a pair of heavy boots suddenly shifted direction and faced her.

"I don't care whether he is my father-in-law, or my ancestor..." The voice got closer, steel-hard, as she swallowed heavily, beads of sweat clinging on her forehead while she watched the brown leather shoes approaching her slowly, as if stalking its prey. Her eyes clenched shut of her own accord as she held her breath unconsciously, begging for him not to notice her here. It could only mean death, and Amy could certainly not survive on her own - at least, not yet.

"I just know that I want him gone. I have no use for him - not anymore."

A surprised and horrified gasp from the other man. "B-But..."

There was a short pause, and the friction of the rough surfaces of notes against each other as they were being counted, before she heard the latter replied, "Yes, Draco, I will get it done."

Hermione bit her lip to keep herself from gasping out loud before she opened her eyes slowly, her fists tightening making imprints of her nails on the inside of her palms. The expensive looking boots had already stopped right before her hiding place and her heart thudded madly as she took in a dark smoky scent that seemed deeply... _alluring_ to her. She shook her head in an attempt to clear the haze that seemed to be slowly creeping over her mind. A knee dropped down in front of her in a kneeling position smoothly. Oh, shit, shit, _shit-_

"Draco...? Is there something wrong?"

"Oh, no, of course not, Peter," Draco replied, his voice seeming to get lower and throatier. "I thought I saw a rabbit nearby and would like to practice my... _hunting skills_. Why don't you go ahead first? I am sure that Mr. Pettigrew would be happy to know of this."

She swallowed the lump that wouldn't be gone at her throat: She was dead. She was going to _die_, die in this secluded forest where no one would ever find her. She heard the shaky voice of Peter agreeing to that and the clumsy footsteps faltering away within seconds. She wanted to scream for him to take her too, bring her to escape; but she knew that from what she heard of the Pettigrews, they were cowards - and money grubbers. Perhaps, not all of them, but she quickly stamped the agreement that Peter definitely was one.

Draco smirked darkly when the sound of the footsteps disappeared completely.

"Now, now, why don't you come out of the bushes so we can talk?" Without waiting for a response, a pale hand darted into the bushes, fingers curling around her wrist and gripping it hard before hauling poor Hermione out and throwing her roughly on the soft green grass.

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**A/N: Well, that is the end of chapter one! I wish it had turned out fine and I really hope you guys like it. Please do leave a review to tell me your thoughts. Constructive criticism is welcome - and always will be!**

**~WY**


	2. Chapter 2: Cold Eyes

Chapter 2: Cold Eyes

**A/N: Hello, dear readers! Glad to see you guys continuing to the next chapter! Thanks! In order to clear up some questions I think you guys don't know, magic would be involved here. But it would be different. Yep, different! It _is_ AU, after all. I've forgotten to put a warning in chapter one, but I've just done so. *sheepish grin* But we won't be coming to contact with that till next chapter. In this chapter, you'd find Hermione and Draco to be out of character - actually, Hermione will be very OOC *ponders for a moment*. Yep, I guess. Thanks for reviewing last chapter! It may be confusing now, but as time goes, it'd gradually clear up. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.  
**

**Big thanks to the reviewers last chapter:**

**HMK, sakura1984, lalyta8, lia163, Bittersweet Al, vanessa.**

**~WY  
**

**P.S. And yep, I just changed the title - hehe.  
**

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**H**er heart pounded frantically in her chest.

Draco's lips curled slightly, moving towards her slowly, imitating the motion he did earlier when she was hiding in the bushes. "Afraid now, aren't you?"

Hermione did not answer, but pushed herself up with a trembling motion as her sweaty palms gripped her bow, ready to attack. It was possible that he would just kill her off in this forest, but at least she had her bow with her. It was better than having no form of defense against this… this _murderer_. His ash mauve eyes seemed to harden, as if he had heard her.

He was in front of her before she could blink, his long, slender fingers curling around her neck, his eyes piercing intently through hers. His grip tightened. She felt her windpipe getting closed up and tears burning her eyes as she struggled with his grasp, fingers clawing desperately on his pale hand without much success.

"Let… me _go_!_ Please_!" she choked out, short of breath as black dots started to surround her vision. She swung her bow towards his body in her struggle, trying to injure him into letting her go but he leaped out of the way smoothly, pulling the poor girl's neck up with the animalistic force and making her give a strangled scream, his other hand tearing the bow away from her.

He chuckled at her horrified eyes which followed the bow, the latter dropping much too far, beyond her reach. "Can't have my prey escaping."

Her fingers tried to pry his away in a futile effort, to which he responded to by squeezing the throat harder making her cry out as she opened and closed her mouth repeatedly, the black dots starting to conquer her vision. She felt like her body was going to combust from the lack of oxygen; her head about to burst from the force he was executing to her surely bruised neck; her eyes about to pop out from everything she was experiencing. Her strength got sapped away at amazing speed and just when she thought she was about to die, he released her, dropping her onto the grass.

She landed heavily on her bottom, her mouth opening wide as she panted for air, trying to gulp more of the sweet, delicious oxygen and feeling as if she couldn't get enough. Her vision started to clear though her head spun wildly as she dropped back to the ground roughly after attempting to stand. She blinked again, watching the world filled with colourful patches, before the nauseous side-effects of the strangling started to wear off, her mouth closed now as she breathed heavily through her nose, her shoulders heaving.

Draco watched her, amused, his arms crossed. "Better now?"

Hermione glared, saying nothing as her fingers reached for her tender, bruised throat, wincing at the throbbing sensation of the aftermath. She dropped her hand as she used the tree as support to stand, stumbling over to her bow blindly and hugging it close to her before she gave a sigh of relief. She was lucky. Her bow was undamaged.

"You're lucky this time," he sneered from behind her, making her flinch at the closeness of his voice. "I won't let you off next time if I see you. Now, go."

Hermione remained silent at his cold, dismissive words (Those were words that she desperately wanted to hear), though she was itching to give this smug Malfoy a good scolding - but she knew better. She didn't want to stir up any more unwanted trouble, and in the worst case scenario, cause his attention to be diverted towards her. He was a noble Duke heir, after all, and... she - she, well, was just another commoner.

Sending another meek glance his way, she staggered towards the path of stone she had thrown and to her utter dismay, they were shoved into the bushes - a likely masterpiece of Peter Pettigrew when he staggered away. Damn it, she would have to walk blindly through this route, it seemed. However, the daylight would be working to her advantage; she was glad she had came out at dawn instead of during dusk. But on the other hand, Amy would be frightened to wake up alone. Oh well.

A feather-like wind touch lingered on the nape of her neck, and she realized the Malfoy guy was behind her.

Her eyes widened at her realization, her mouth opening to give a surprised shriek but his warm hand clasped over her mouth to stop any unwanted sounds from escaping and tugged her behind the tree.

Her voice was muffled through his hand as he raised a finger and pressed it against his lips to silence her. She complied reluctantly, and finally pulled his firm grip away from her mouth.

"What are you -"

His eyes seemed to steel cold, sending shivers down her spine as they stared at her, and his finger made to repeat the previous movement. "Another word from you, and I would have to place my hand on your mouth again."

She visibly bristled. What was he doing here, anyway? What was the point of doing this? Was he going to go back on his word and kill her?

He suddenly leaned closer to her - much closer - so much that she could feel his muscular chest brushing against her, making her bite her lips to resist the embarrassed shriek she was about to give as she backed toward the tree, though it wasn't much of a difference.

"Cassius, have you heard?" Hermione's ears perked up at the feminine voice.

A deep sigh before the other party replied, "Yes, he returned just yesterday night, I heard."

A sharp gasp. "So, it's true, then?"

"Yes, I suppose so."

"Do you think he would want... some sort of, maybe..."

The male's voice cut in, "Revenge, you mean?" There was a short pause, and Hermione thought he was most probably nodding his head. "Yes, I think so."

She heard a soft snort coming from the male leaning above, suddenly feeling self-conscious and feeling blood rushing to her cheeks. He didn't have any visible reaction towards that, but he seemed to enjoy her response, closing his distance between her as his breath caressed her ear, stirring the curls at the region.

"Stop leaning so close to me!" Hermione hissed as soft as she could, pushing her hands against his hard chest in an attempt to put more distance between them. He arched a brow, seeming amused at her weak shove.

"Shh," he shushed, "We wouldn't want to be discovered by them, would we?"

"I am a commoner, as you've said before, so if you wouldn't want to..." She paused, sending him a threatening glare, before sneering, "_contaminate_ yourself, would you?"

"Did you hear something, Cassius?" The high-pitched voice made Hermione cringe as she held her breath for the second time that day, wishing fervently not to be found.

There was a tense silence as the male considered her words, waiting for any sounds that alerted them of an intruder's presence. "No, Rose," he said. "You must have been imagining things."

"Right." But Rose's voice remained shaky. "I hope so."

"Hmm?" Cassius questioned her words quizzically.

"I heard that Draco, he - he -" Her voice dropped by a few volumes, and Hermione strained to hear her words, her eyes trailing to the corner to see Draco's response at the mention, but his lips were only quirked slightly, his eyes shining with interest.

"He became a _monster_!" Her voice was raised by several decibels upon the last word. Hermione cringed once more: this woman was impossible. She had no idea how Mr. Parkinson could stand her. "Maybe he's here now, lis-"

Cassius chuckled, "You must be crazy, Rose, to be convinced of such... plausible thoughts. It is doubtful - no - impossible. Monsters do not exist, Rose."

"I... I, well..."

"Let's just head back," Cassius mumbled, his hand settling on his wife's waist. "And don't think too much. It must have been an animal."

There was nothing more being said as the couple trudged back to their house, most probably.

Draco took a few steps away from her once the footsteps faded off to a safe distance.

"He is the one you've designs on, right?" She queried, brushing her clothes from where it had came contact with the other. He narrowed her eyes at her actions, but spoke nothing of it.

"Would you like me to take you home?" He asked instead.

"Do you've multiple personality disorder? You were strangling me just moments ago," she blurted out, dubious of his motive.

He seemed genuinely surprised at her words for some reason, before he recovered. "Do you even know what it means?" Ah, that explained it.

"Yes, I do," she mumbled, turning away. She kept her cool as she clenched her bow tightly in her hands, deciding that venturing blindly through the woods was better than spending more time with someone who obviously eschewed the thought that a commoner could actually study. Yes, perhaps she was contradicting herself... But she believed in terms of knowledge, there was no prejudice involved, no positions involved, no money involved - it was all about quenching the thirst for knowledge - a thirst she knew, she would never be satisfied with.

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It only took about an hour, as Hermione had deducted from the colour of the now bright sky, from her adventure in the forest. She had found a tree full of apples, much to her joy, and had plucked some, but not enough to attract attention from the owners.

Yes, she had gotten lost and taken a few turns, but that was all. She still made it out - fortunately.

"Amy! I'm home!" She shouted as she closed the cottage door.

"Sissy!" The little girl bounced away from the fire place after throwing some firewood she had gathered into it and threw herself into her sister's arms. Yes, she was an adorable little kid. Although she was orphaned, like her - yes, she was not her biological sister, but she treated her like one, ever since she found her crying in the woods with not even a penny on her. She had pasted up posters of a missing child, with all the descriptions of Amy, but no one came to acknowledge her, and it was then, did she realise that the child could have been abandoned on purpose.

She had no means of supporting another member, but she knew she would, no matter how hard it was. She was strangely endearing during the period which she looked for her parents while she took care of her, and Amy had helped out with the chores even though she was only four. She was a sensible child, all right. She could not imagine why any sane parent would want to abandon such a lovely girl - no, no parent should ever entertain the thought, and should completely banish such prosperous thinking of leaving their child behind.

She pressed a kiss on Amy's forehead as a greeting before she dropped the apples she had held with her shirt as a basket on the table.

Amy beamed, clapping her hands in joy. "Yay! I love apples!"

She watched as the child, full of innocence, bit into the red, juicy fruit, before giving a bright smile with a thumbs-up to show her ultimate approval. Hermione giggled lightly, a light blush colouring her cheeks as she gave her sister a soft smile, patting her hair affectionately.

The innocence she wished she could still have...

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**A/N: So um, what ya think? I'm aware that Hermione is OOC - her being meek and submissive just doesn't match, does it? But as you can see, her internal thoughts are rather different from her actions. Anyway, my point is : Hermione _is_ going to be OOC, before she gradually starts to change. *cheeky grin* Anyway, I hope you guys liked this and review to tell me your thoughts! Feedbacks are always pleasant - even enjoyable (they make me smile like crazy), to read.**

**~WY  
**


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